In the Deir al-Balah cemetery in Gaza Strip, Sa’di Baraka and his team of volunteer gravediggers labor daily to create space for the mounting number of deceased. “Sometimes we make graves on top of graves,” he noted.
The cemetery, which is 70 years old, has seen a significant increase in newly dug graves. The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has lasted for 10 months, has pushed the death toll in Gaza beyond 40,000, as reported by the Hamas-run Health Ministry. This number includes both civilians and militants.
The densely populated Gaza Strip is now overwhelmed with bodies, filling morgues and overflowing cemeteries. Families, forced to repeatedly flee conflict zones, are burying their dead in unconventional places like backyards, parking lots, and along roadsides. Some bodies are left under rubble, and their fate remains unknown.
Since the conflict began in October, nearly 2% of Gaza’s pre-war population has died. The true death toll could be higher, with many bodies potentially trapped under the 40 million tons of rubble reported by the United Nations.
Israeli military actions have further compounded the issue, damaging and destroying over 20 cemeteries. Some bodies have been displaced and buried in mass graves, while others have been moved to Israel for identification.
Haneen Salem, a photographer from northern Gaza, has lost over 270 family members and described the anguish of seeing their remains scattered. She hopes to properly honor them after the war.
In peacetime, Gaza’s funerals followed traditional Islamic rituals, but these practices have largely disappeared due to the ongoing violence. Families now struggle to bury their loved ones amid the destruction.
The Israeli military claims it aims to rescue hostage bodies where possible and return non-hostage remains with respect. However, many graves have been disturbed, leaving families uncertain about the final resting places of their loved ones.
